Adjustable drawing table



Dec. 23, 1952 L SAUTEREAU 2,622,951

ADJUSTABLE DRAWNG TABLE Filed April 14, 1949 lul k Patented Dec. 23,1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 14, 1949, Serial No.87,479 In France April 30, 1948 1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to drawing tables.

More particularly, the present invention relates to adjustable drawingtables where the table is tiltable about a horizontal axis.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatusfor releasably locking a drawing table in an adjusted position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an effective andconvenient means for actuating a device for releasably locking a drawingtable in an adjusted position. i

Another object of the present invention is to construct a lockingmechanism of the above type from relatively few, simple, rugged parts.

With the above objects in view, the present invention mainly consists ofa drawing table having a supporting frame which includes a pair ofmutually spaced uprights. A bar extends through these uprights adjacentto the top ends thereof and is axially movable with respect to theseuprights. A pair of link members are turnably mounted on the bar forrotation about the axis thereof, and the drawing table top is fixed tothese link members. A plurality of friction plates are located betweenthe link members and uprights with a first set of friction plates fixedto the uprights and a second set or" friction plates, respectivelylocated between each pair of adjacent plates of the rst set, beingturnably mounted on the bar and fixed to the link members for turningmovement therewith about the bar. A clamping means is operativelyconnected to the uprights and bar for moving the same with respect toeach other so as t move the uprights toward the link members to clampthe friction plates to each other and thereby lock the table top, in adesired angular position, on the uprights.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claim. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantage thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a partly diagrammatic side view of a drawing tableconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partly diagrammatic front view of the drawing table ofFig. l, showing the table top in dot-dash lines so as to clearlyindicate the structure behind the table top; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a detail of the table of Fig. 2, takenalong line III--III of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown therein a table top Iwhich is carried by a parallel linkage 2 turnably mounted on atransverse bar 3 carried by uprights il. The linkages 2 are located onthe bar 3 between and respectively adjacent to the uprights as isclearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The bar 3 extends through openings in theuprights 13. and is axially movable with respect to the same. Acounterweight 5 is carried on extensions of each of the linkages 2 andbalances the weight of the table top I so that the latter is easy totilt.

In accordance with the present invention, each of the uprights It iscarried at its lower end by a base member 6 which is pivotally connectedto its respective upright by a pivot pin l, As is shown most clearly inFig. i, four openings 8 are located in the base members 6 and alignedwith four similar openings in the uprights 4, the pivot l being locatedat the center of a square whose corners coincide with the four openings8. Thus, the base members t, by removing and replacing suitable boltsand nuts in the openings `8, may each be located either in the operativeposition shown in Fig. l or in a folded position at from the positionshown in Fig. 1 where the base members l extend parallel to the uprights4.

ln order to reieasably lock the table top in a desired adjustedposition, there are located between each linkage 2 and the adjacentupright I3 two groups of friction plates 9 and I 9. As is most clearlyshown in Fig. 3, the friction plates 9 and I l) are formed with openingsl i through which the bar 3 passes, the plates I0 extending in oneangular direction, and the plates 9 extending in a different angulardirection. These plates 9 and I9 are alternately arranged so that eachplate 9 is located between a pair of plates i9 and each plate i9 islocated between a pair of plates 9, except, of course. the plates at theends of the series.

At their outer free ends the plates 9 are each formed with an openingI3, and a pin l5 xed to an upright l passes through the aligned openingsI3 so that the plates 9 remain stationary with respect to the uprightsd. The plates I9 are each formed with an opening I4, and a pin I 6 xedto a linkage 2 extends through the aligned openings I4 of the plates I9so that these plates turn with the linkages 2 about the bar 3.

As was mentioned above, the bar 3 is axially movable on the uprights 4.At its left end, as viewed in Fig. 2, the bar 3 is threaded and carriesa nut il which abuts against the left upright of Fig. 2. At its rightend, as viewed in Fig. 2, the bar 3 is pivotally connected to the linkI8 of a toggle joint whose other link I9 is pivotally conneeted to theright upright 4 of Fig. 2. The ends of the links I8 and I9 which areconnected together are also connected to the upper end of a verticallyextending rod 20 which at its lower end is connected by pivot pin 2|(Fig. 1) to the right end, as viewed in Fig. 1, of a control lever 22which is pivotally mounted on a base member '6 by a pivot pin 23, asshown in Fig. 1. It is apparent that when the lever 22 is turned aboutits pivot 23 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, therod 20 will move up and move both of the links i8 and 9 to asubstantially horizontal position so as to cause the uprights 4 to bepushed toward each other. This action presses the fri-ction platestogether so as to lock the table top in a desired adjusted position. Byturning the control lever 22 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig.1, the pressure between the friction plates El and l0 is released, andthe table top may then be tilted to another position. By reason of theirnumber, the friction between each pair of abutting plates 9 and ii! isconsiderably multiplied, so that even if a relatively small force isapplied to lock the table in an adjusted position, it will still remainrmly locked. It should be noted that the parts are so chosen andarranged that when the table top is locked the pivot 2E is in alignmentwith the pivot pins l'.

When the drawing table is not in use, it may be folded up by locatingthe table top l as close as possible to the uprights i and locking it inthis position in the manner described above. The base member E may thenbe turned to a position 90 from that shown in Fig. 1, in the mannerdescribed above, and since the pivot pin 2| is aligned with the pins l,this pivot pin 2| does not prevent such turning of the base member 6 onwhich the control lever 22 is turnably mounted. The bolts may then bereplaced in the openings 8. It is thus seen that the table of thepresent invention requires but little space in its folded position.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofdrawing tables differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied inadjustable drawing tables, it is not intended to be limited to thedetails shown, since various modifications and structural changes may bemade Without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand. therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to beccmprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claim.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A drawing table, comprising, in combination, a supporting frame having apair of mutually spaced uprights; a bar extending through said uprightsadjacent the upper ends thereof and being axially movable with respectto said uprights; a pair of link members mounted on said bar for turningmovement about the axis thereof; a table top xedly connected to saidlink members; a plurality of first friction plates xed to said uprightsand mounted on said bar between said uprights and link members; aplurality of second friction plates respectively located between pairsof adjacent first friction plates, being mounted on said bar for turningmovement thereabout, and being connected to said link members forturning movement therewith; and clamping means operatively connected tosaid uprights and bar for moving the same with respect to each other soas to move said uprights toward said link members to clamp said frictionplates to each other and thereby lock said table top in a desiredangular position on said uprights.

LUCIEN SAUTEREAU.

REFERENCES CTTEB The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 522,593 Jones July 10, 1894971,081 Schnorr Sept. 27, 1910 1,184,594 v'Jan Nagy May 23, 19161,373,473 Weydell Apr. 5, 1921 1,925,087 Andreu Sept. 5, 1933 2,452,216Yarber Oct. 26, 1948 2,539,720 Pieper Jan. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 465,576 Great Britain i-iay 10, 1937 237,199 FranceFeb. 6, 1943 247,735 France Mar. 31, 1947

